BNS vs. ITUB: Bank of Nova Scotia vs. Itaú Unibanco Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) trades as ordinary local shares, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 20.96% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 11.46%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 28.43% and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 32.46% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 10.36% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 4.21% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.21% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at -3.41% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 4.84% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 40.54% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.

Both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 58.04% and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 70.75% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.12 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 16.61 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

P/S ratio is set aside for both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.

Both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 1.76 and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 1.79 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

Valuation Metrics